Getting Your Home Ready for Sale

In today’s real estate market when millennials, who account for the most considerable part of the money-making population, are leaning more toward renting than buying, it is vital to do your best to make your home appealing to potential buyers and get a fair price. However, there is no proper earning without investment and effort. If you are thinking about listing your house for sale, you need to check which investments bring you the biggest ROI, and how to stage the property for photographing and the occasion when the potential buyer comes to check it out. The following tips will help you make your house irresistible and pricer than it currently is.

Check for needed repairs

The worst you can do is present a house with apparent malfunctions. In most cases, the buyers won’t be willing to invest in repairs, or they will negotiate a much lower price than you’d expected. Hire professionals to check the foundations, electricity, plumbing, roof, and more if necessary. Finally, see whether the price you will pay for the works brings enough money in return.

Assess the cost vs. the value of remodeling projects

If you’re planning on investing money in remodeling, it would be wise to assess how much of your investment will get back to you through the increase in the property price. According to the cost vs. value report for 2018, the most profitable projects to take on are: a bathroom remodel (70,1%), a deck addition (82,8%), an entry door replacement (91,3%), a garage door replacement (98,3%), a minor kitchen remodel (81,1%), and window replacements (74,3%).

Kitchen remodel is always useful

An unsightly kitchen is one of the biggest turn-offs for home buyers. Fortunately, as you have seen in the previous paragraph, even a minor remodel is enough to add value to your kitchen. Some updates that would be attractive for buyers are: replacing the cabinet fronts with shaker-style wood panels, adding new hardware, replacing the cooktop, and introducing energy-efficient appliances.

You can’t go wrong with a bathroom facelift

Besides the kitchen, the bathroom is the second room in the house that scores you the most points with potential buyers. Even if you decide not to do a complete remodel, there are a few upgrades you can make to boost the value of your home. Updating the bathroom fixtures is the most affordable one, and it is very effective. Elegant free-standing bath tubs have become a standard for modern-looking bathrooms these days, and one of them can make a huge wow moment in your bathroom. If you have a shower, frameless glass doors are a good idea. A fresh coat of paint and a new backsplash will make the bathroom look almost brand new.

A clear canvas

Every single stain, mark, and scratch on your walls speak about the years you’ve spent living in your home. But that house will soon become someone else’s home, and they need a clean slate. Painting the walls will make every room look like it has just been built. Remember to always choose neutral colors (e.g., white, grey, beige, earthy shades, etc.), because the buyers won’t necessarily prefer the same color as you. This also goes for kids’ rooms that were probably painted in bold colors, or have themed drawings and wallpaper. You don’t know whatthe new homeowners are going to use that room for, so it’s better to leave it up to their imagination.

Boost the curb appeal

First impressions don’t play a vital role only with meeting people, but also when it comes to seeing buildings for the first time. Giving the home’s exterior a slight makeover, or an update, could actually be a deal-breaker for selling the house. Some of the things you can do are: painting the exterior walls, fixing the porch if there are any issues, repainting the door, using fresh mulch, keeping the lawn perfectly mowed, placing flowers on the porch, replacing the old house number, etc.

Keep everything decluttered

This one goes for both the interior and the exterior. Buyers don’t want to see your trinkets outside and inside the house. They want the house to feel livable, and not as if someone other than them was living in it. It may sound strange, but they need to be able to imagine their future lives in your house. That’s why you should keep as few personal items as you can. Decorate only with things that are necessary, such as furniture and unobtrusive accessories.

Stage it!

Finally, you need to stage the home to achieve all of what we talked about above. Here are a few hints to help you do that:

Selling a house is an important financial moment in your life, but it is also an emotional one. Make sure you distance yourself from your emotions. Don’t look backward. Your future awaits you in another home.

Written by Karl Peters

Karl is a university graduate with years of experience in casual writing and freelance services. Always up to date on the latest trends and working hard to bring these trends to the forefront of the public eye. Lover of beer, dogs and cars and dedicated to being the best bachelor bro.